


Lead us not into Temptation

by EstaJay



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, LU Valentine's Gift Exchange 2020, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-19 14:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22712185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstaJay/pseuds/EstaJay
Summary: The heroes are rescued from a close encounter by Cia but she is determined to have them stay.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 164





	Lead us not into Temptation

**Author's Note:**

> For Lady on Discord  
> It was a fun prompt and I hope you enjoy! Happy Valentine's Day!

It was an ambush on a seemingly peaceful night. Wind had given a warning shout when the ground began to rattle and skeletal figures rose from the earth but that was all he could do before being knocked out. 

Warriors vigilantly defended his body. No harm would come to the boy - but that also meant that he couldn’t go on the offensive.

A solid shield bash shattered the skull of his current foe, giving him the briefest moment to survey the battlefield. 

Stalfos. Stalkobins. Stalizalfos. Stalmoblins. 

The whole fucking lot. 

Time was to his left with someone leaning on his shoulder. Another man down. Sky was by his side, protecting their fallen comrade and covering Time’s blindspot. Good. 

Arrows rained from afar - Wild probably. Enemies were knocked back but for every one hit, three rose to take its place. 

Twilight and Four were back to back, raw strength paired with nimble agility - but they were utterly swarmed with undead foes.

There was a growl to his right.

Warriors snapped to raise his shield but the lunging monster was incinerated by a torrent of flames. 

“No spacing out, pretty boy!” Legend yelled.

Legend plunged his sword into the ground. One of the medallions around his neck glowed. The earth shook. The other heroes were able to hold their ground but several ranks of stals toppled to the ground. 

But the monsters still kept coming. 

The heroes were tiring. 

There was no way they could win this. 

Then a portal, a  _ Gate of Souls,  _ opened behind Warriors.

This was too convenient to be a coincidence. 

But Din damn it all, there wasn’t much of a choice. 

“RETREAT!” Warriors ordered.

He threw Wind over his shoulders and leapt through the Gate.

He wasn’t at all surprised to find a familiar rose garden on the other side. 

The statue of himself was new though. 

“Link darling~!” Was the only warning Warriors got before Cia appeared and attached herself to his arm. He barely had enough time to put Wind down safely before the boy could be glomped out of his grip. 

Warriors flinched. He was about to pry Cia off but the rest of the heroes emerged through the Gate - battered, bruised and thoroughly exhausted. 

“Cia.” Time growled but there wasn’t much else he could do while supporting an unconscious Hyrule. 

“Oh, Young Link!” Cia cooed. “You grew up  _ handsomely  _ well.”

“So we got bailed out by the captain’s girlfriend?” Legend muttered. 

Cia betrayed her duties and started a war because of her obsession with the Hero’s Spirit - and here was nine incarnations dropped straight into her lap. Even though she was purified of Ganondorf’s influence, Warriors saw that dangerous glint in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath and smothering the uneasiness growing in his gut, Warriors wrapped an arm around Cia’s shoulders. She squealed in delight and threw her arms around his neck. A shiver ran down his spine but Warriors didn’t push her away.  _ Better him than them.  _

“Everyone. This is Cia, the Guardian of Time.” Warriors said, barely able to keep his voice steady. 

Cia thankfully released him to curtsey to the other heroes. “It’s an absolute  _ pleasure  _ to host the Heroes of Courage. Welcome to the Temple of Souls - feel free to stay for  _ as long  _ as you wish.”

* * *

Despite being fresh off the battlefield, Wild still insisted on kitchen duty. He was thinking of a nice seafood meuniere and there was a convenient moat brimming with fish surrounding the temple. He still hadn’t gotten the hang of using a fishing rod and he doubted their host would appreciate bomb fishing - so it was the good old dive-and-dash for dinner. 

Contrary to what the others believed, Wild wasn’t completely feral. While it would have been easier to go fishing in his underwear, he knew it wouldn’t be proper around their lady host.

Said host was waiting for Wild on the drawbridge as he dragged himself out of the moat with his Slate inventory filled with his haul. She stood expectantly, hands on her hips and a carefully neutral smile on her face. 

“Oh, um...hi Lady Cia!” Wild stammered. Even though he was dressed in his zora armour, the way Cia eyed him he might as well have been naked. “I...uh, sorry - was I not supposed to fish there? I can put them back-”

“Oh no! It’s perfectly fine, it was absolutely  _ a delight  _ to watch you hard at work - and please, call me Cia.” She took several steps closer. “Hmm...that armour fits you well - custom made?”

Wild blushed. “Ah y-yes.” 

Cia’s fingers fluttered across his chest. “That design - this is the armour that zora princesses traditionally make for their betrothed.”

“I...um…” Wild bowed his head in embarrassment. He knew the significance of the armour, of the feelings and intentions Mipha had when she crafted it, yet all he had were a handful of fleeting memories and none of the emotions.

“You know, I can make you an even better set of armour.”

“Um what?”

Cia palm was now flat against his chest. “Heat resistance, cold resistance, flame guard, shock proof - everything you could ever need for your travels...all handcrafted to the highest quality.”

“I…”

Before things could progress further - Warriors emerged from the temple. “Everything alright here?”

_ Fuck.  _ Cia was like Warriors’ girlfriend or something, right?

“Oh nothing to worry about darling!” Cia cooed, attaching herself to Warriors’ side. 

Wild took this as the opportunity to escape into the temple. He had no idea where the kitchen was but he would rather find it himself than have to talk with Cia again.

* * *

The moment Twilight stepped through that portal, he caught a whiff of the scent. Of  _ her  _ scent. 

It took all of his willpower not to chase it down then and there. Four leaning against his forearm helped ground him. They just barely escaped with their lives. There were wounds to tend to, weapon maintenance to be done and other post battle  _ bullshit  _ that could wait because  _ he could smell her and if he waited a second longer she could disappear again and- _

“Feel free to explore the temple grounds.” Were the only words that reached Twilight’s ears. 

Twilight kept his calm long enough for the group to casually disperse. Then, when he was alone - he shifted. 

His canine nose locked onto her scent - unfurling a path through the temple. Twilight was careful not to trample any of the garden beds in his mad dash - but just barely. Roses could be regrown - he might never get another chance like this again. 

He didn’t know if it was from this Hyrule, from this place in particular or something else altogether but phantom images appeared in his vision. The grounds were swarmed with troops - gorons and bublins locked in combat. Twilight felt a familiar weight on his back with a shrill voice yelling commands and casting spells to match. He had never been to this place before yet the memories of battle - of once again fighting alongside  _ her,  _ played in his periphery. 

Then Twilight stopped. 

Her scent ended here.

He was alone. 

Twilight had smelled her residue magic - nothing more. 

Vaguely, he remembered Warriors talking about fighting alongside warriors from all ages of Hyrule - she must have been one of them. 

He had been chasing  _ nothing.  _

Twilight shifted back.

Her scent dimmed but it was still present. 

By how much had he missed her. Months? Weeks? Days? 

“Something troubling you, Hero of Twilight?”

_ Shit.  _

Twilight swiftly turned around to find Cia standing behind him. 

How long had she been there?  _ How much did she see? _

“You need not be concerned. I was already aware of your abilities. I won’t share it with anyone.”

Cia was now dressed in a black attire rather than the white she had greeted them in. 

_ “What? Has my true form left you speechless?” _

“You seemed to be plagued by the past, dear hero.” 

Twilight quickly shook his head. “It’s nothing.” He forced a smile. “Thank you for your hospitality. I apologise for any troubles I’ve caused.”

Then Cia strode forward - standing a little too close for polite company. She had been draped all over Warriors earlier but if Twilight didn’t know better, she was trying to get intimate. Cia placed an arm over his shoulder - for comfort, it had to be.

“Opportunities come and opportunities go. The flow of time waits for no one.” Cia was  _ definitely  _ too close now. Twilight felt her breath against his collarbone and it sent chills down his spine. “Dwelling in the past will only plunge you further into despair...but I can help you move forward-”

Then Cia was pulled back and Twilight couldn’t suppress his sigh of relief. 

Cia flopped over Warriors arm in an overly dramatic swoon. He wasn’t glaring at Twilight like a scorned lover - in fact, it was like he was holding back a crazed beast and his eyes were telling him to  _ run.  _

Twilight quietly crept away as Cia threw her arms around Warriors’ neck and began whispering into his ear. 

As grateful as he was to their host, he was absolutely going to avoid her as much as he could. 

* * *

Time stood before the statue of his younger self in the rose garden. The statue barely came up to his knee. Had he really been that small?

The statue was definitely accurate to the child hero he once was, Cia wouldn’t settle for anything less. 

It was odd seeing this place at peace. His memories from decades prior drenched this place with blood and battle. The war cries still echoed through the silence. He remembered tearing that wall down yet here it was whole. The war only ended a scarce few months for this place but it looked completely untouched by any form of combat. 

Cia made a show of walking up to him - she knew that he wouldn’t hesitate to stab her if she tried anything. 

“You really have grown up well.” Cia said, her tone wavering between flirtatious and motherly - goddesses forbid she try doing both. “Much better than the first time around.”

“Actually being allowed to grow up properly will do that.” Time was a full head taller than her now but he knew in her eyes, nothing about the hero could ever be intimidating. 

“But after all you went through, it would have been far from proper.” There was genuine sympathy in Cia’s voice - but Time immediately leaned away when she tried leaning into his chest. 

“I’m married.” 

Cia looked up at him and Time felt he was a child again facing down a possessed obsessive sorceress. At least she wasn’t possessed anymore. 

“Yes, married to a ranch girl who doesn’t know what you’ve done for her because those events never happened in that timeline.” Cia didn’t bother hiding her contempt. “Do you really love her or are you just chasing after a girl you can never meet again?”

“I love her.” Time said immediately and aggressively. “It’s more than just the past. Malon listens. She makes an effort to understand.”

“But does she really? Or is she just humouring your tall tales like her father?”

Time opened his mouth but no words came out. All his doubts, brought to the forefront with a single armour piercing question. 

“You can stay here.” Cia said softly. “This place is removed from the flow of time. No one here will forget you. No one here will ever leave you again. You can even have your youth return to you, dear child.”

“No.” 

Time left without looking back. He passed Warriors under the arch - rushing off to placate Cia before she got any more ideas. 

_ “Be careful, dumbass.”  _ Time quickly signed. 

That witch’s obsession burned like a wildfire and his dumbass big brother was going to get himself burned trying to contain it.

* * *

Legend used to see portraits as frivolous. Yes, he understood the appeal of wanting to capture something in the moment but good painters were scarce, expensive, completely booked out on months on end or all of the above. Not to mention how ridiculously fucking long they made you sit still. In the end, the only people with enough time and money for portraits were stuffy nobles that commissioned them to feed their vanity. 

But Legend used to tolerate them. Now though, after the fuckery Yuga pulled - portraits were fucking unnerving. 

And he couldn’t shake the chills from the moment he entered this room. Wall to wall was plastered with portraits of Warriors - packed so tightly together that he couldn’t see the fucking wall itself between the frames. These weren’t just paintings either - they were closer to the pictographs Wind and Wild could take.

Of course that damn pretty boy would have a girlfriend who would feed his narcissism was Legend’s first thought. However, upon closer inspection most seem to be taken without Warriors knowing and some showed he didn’t want his image taken  _ at all.  _

This was taking a fucking nose-dive into crazy stalker territory. 

“So you found your way here.”

Startled, Legend drew his sword spun around - ready to lop off the head of whoever snuck up on him but stopped his blade just shy of Cia’s neck. 

Legend sheathed his sword. “Fuck. Don’t - don’t fucking sneak up on me like that.” 

There wasn’t the slightest hint of fear in Cia’s eyes - just fanatical admiration that peered into his very being.

The sooner they could leave this damn place and its host the better. 

Cia giggled - maybe it sounded cute and harmless but it just put Legend further on edge. “I expected nothing less from the Hero of Legend. All your quests have honed your instincts to the sharpest point. From Labrynna and Holodrum, Hyrule and Lorule, the island of Koholint...” 

“How do you fucking know that?!”

“I am the Guardian of Time. My duty is to watch and observe -” Cia took a step forward and Legend took two steps back, “and you have provided me with such an  _ enthralling  _ show.” 

Fuck this crazy lady treating his life like a goddess-damned stageplay. 

“...you have a lot of portraits of Warriors.” Legend said, hoping to divert the conversation away from himself.

Cia’s eyes lit up with obsessive glee. “Oh this is but a mere  _ fraction  _ of my collection. Portraits have a permanence to them - nothing like the fleeting image of a dream.” She took another step closer and the only way Legend was going to avoid her would be to merge with the wall. “But if you so desire, I can be the new girl of your dreams.”

Before Legend could activate Ravio’s bracelet, the gallery doors burst open and Warriors was between the two of them in a flash. Legend released the breath he didn’t even know he was holding but he could still feel Cia’s gaze boring into him through Warriors. 

“There...are more here than last time.” Warriors said, carefully neutral - but behind his back he signed,  _ “Run.”  _

Legend didn’t need to be told twice. 

He slowly crept around Warriors but not before he saw how violently Warriors’ flinched when Cia threw herself at him. 

“You know that I can  _ never  _ get enough of my  _ dearest _ hero.”

It doesn’t take a hoarder to know one but there was no doubt that crazy woman wanted to hoard  _ all  _ the heroes and there was no way Legend was going to let any of them be a part of it. 

* * *

Warriors didn’t want to be alone with Cia - he  _ never  _ wanted to be left alone with the sorceress...but he would rather her attention be focused solely on him rather than attempting to seduce the others. 

“Oh darling, are you feeling jealous?”

No. Never. Cia’s affections were something that he wouldn’t wish even upon his worst enemy. 

“You can’t keep them.” Warriors said instead. “They have lives to return to.”

“I’m simply providing them options dearest. I’ve seen all of your lives and I simply want to give them the rest they deserve.” She reached out to cup his cheek and Warriors flinched back. This time, Cia stopped. She frowned. “You’ve recoiled at my every touch.”

“I have.” Lying doesn’t even cross Warriors’ mind as a possibility. 

“I’m different now - I’ve changed.” Cia’s voice was raw and desperate. “I thought you were giving me another chance to...to earn your love.”

Warriors had done nothing but simply touched her on the shoulder yet Cia had read a million different other things into it. Yes, things were different now but her actions spoke louder than any words. The heroes had only been at the temple for a handful of hours and she had already attempted to seduce half of them. She hadn’t changed as much as she thought she had.

Warriors didn’t doubt that Cia would start another war if it would make a hero hers. 

“Who is it?”

“...what?”

“Who is it? Who won the hero’s heart?” Cia demanded, stamping her foot like a petulant child. “Was it the princess? Lana? That dragon knight?!”

“I can’t love anyone as long as you believe that it’s a trophy for you to win.”

Warriors braced himself for an outburst of magic - but it never came. 

Cia deflated - her tantrum coming to an end before it even began. 

“Oh.”

Warriors sighed. “You rescued us from a fatal encounter - for that you have my eternal gratitude. But that’s all I can offer and trying to force yourself onto the others will only alienate them - if not outright antagonise them.”

Cia bowed her head, her shoulders shaking from barely restrained sobs. Warriors hated when he had to make someone cry. 

“It seems I have overstayed our welcome. Let me tell the others and we can leave immediately -”

“No! No. I was the one who failed to act as a gracious host. It still stands, you are all free to stay here for as long as you wish - and you won’t be forced to stay any longer.”

“Thank you.” Warriors gave a small polite bow. “I apologise for my harsh words.”

Cia gave a mirthless laugh. “No. It was me who overstepped my boundaries. Those were words I needed to hear.”

Warriors left the gallery room without another word. Cia remained, staring at her main portraits of the hero she could never have. 

On the other side of the door, Warriors was surprised to find the rest of the heroes waiting and ready for a fight.

“So do we need to fight a bitch?” Legend growled. 

“No. Just a talk that needed to happen.”


End file.
